Pont Island News 2012 just published

Pont Island News is published bi-annually by Ponteland local History Society and distributed free to members. Non members can purchase from the society at £3 per copy.

Battle of Flodden

DISCOVER THE BATTLE THAT   SHAPED OUR NATIONS

A beginners guide to the Battle of Flodden

Talk time at Wallington Hall presents Michael Thomson as he takes you through the events of the Battle of Flodden in 1513.  Find out what all the fuss is about so you can impress friends and relatives with your knowledge in the build up to the 500th anniversary of this great battle.

Monday 10th September, 10am- 2pm, £22 including coffee and lunch

Wallington, Cambo, nr Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 4AR

To avoid disappointment, please book events in advance on 01670 773600.

The story of a village school

The Story of a Village School

The story of a Village school is the history of Ponteland First School produced by local historian Muriel Sobo.
It is full of photographs, anecdotes and stories of its 93 year history from 1914 - 2007.

The Book costs £6 from the First School office or the Town Council Office or £7 by post from Muriel Sobo on 01661 871969

Proceeds from the book go the school PTA.

Grace Darling

GRACE DARLING:

A STAGE CELEBRATION

OF A NATIONAL HEROINE

The story of the Victorian sea rescue heroine Grace Darling is to be brought to the stage.

Tyneside-based Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood, whose international and national stage hits include Dirty Dusting, Waiting For Gateaux, Maggie’s End and Son of Samurai, have penned Amazing Grace to celebrate the achievements of the first Victorian female heroine, who tragically died in 1842 aged only 26, four years after her heroic deed off the Northumberland Coast between Bamburgh and Seahouses.

Grace Darling and her lighthouse keeper father lived on Longstone island when, in a storm on September 7, 1838, the SS Forfarshire struck the notorious Harcar rocks, a part of the Farne Islands. Of the 63 people on board, nine managed to escape in the lifeboat while Grace and her father selflessly manned a coble to heroically rescue 9 people stranded on the rocks.

Queen Victoria sent £50 for Grace which was administrated by the Duke of Northumberland and three  Bravery medals were bestowed on her by three separate Humane Societies and the RNLI. After Victoria, Grace became the most well know woman in 19^th century Britain.

The play will tell the story of Grace Darling through the eyes of a modern-day writer called Grace who wants to make a film about her famous namesake.

Trevor Wood explained: “It’s a funny, modern take on a wonderful story and will appeal to everyone aged from 13 to 113. We want to celebrate Grace’s achievement whilst illustrating how the Hollywood machine can play fast and loose with the facts.

“Grace was the first working-class female celebrity – the Cheryl Cole of her time – and the play is a tribute to her achievement.”

Amazing Grace will include film of some famous Northumberland landmarks and is being co-produced by Alnwick Playhouse with the support of Sunderland University.

Jo Potts, manager of Alnwick Playhouse, said: “Alnwick Playhouse is excited to premiere this new play based on and around Grace Darling. Her unique story is rooted firmly in the Northumberland landscape and deserves to be told.”

Judith Hills, Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media at Sunderland University, said: “We are very excited to be involved in Amazing Grace. It’s a novel approach to fantastic story which I’m sure will make a terrific piece of theatre.”

The three-week north east tour will begin with a world premiere at Alnwick Playhouse on Wednesday, October 17, as follows:

Alnwick Playhouse: 01665 510 785 Wednesday, October 17; Thursday, October 18 (evening and matinee); Friday, October 19

Consett Empire:  01207 218171 Saturday, October 20 (evening and matinee)

Hexham Queen’s Hall: 01434 652477 Monday, October 22 and Tuesday, October 23 (evening and matinee)  

Gala theatre (Durham): 0191 332 4041 Wednesday, October 24 and Thursday, October 25 (evening and matinee)  

Hartlepool Theatre: 01429 890 000 Friday, October 26  

Gateshead Old Town Hall: 0191 433 6965 Saturday, October 27     

Customs House (South Shields): 0191 454 1234 Monday, October 29 and Tuesday, October 30 (evening and matinee)

Blyth Phoenix theatre: 01670 367 228 Wednesday, October 31   

Berwick Maltings: 01289 330999 Thursday, November 1 and Friday, November 2 (evening and matinee)

Playhouse Whitley Bay: 0844 277 2771 Saturday, November 3 (evening and matinee)

Tickets for Amazing Grace are on sale from the venues. For further information visit www.edwaughandtrevorwood.co.uk

The duo's play Alf Ramsey Knew My Grandfather is playing the 900-seat Darlington Civic Theatre from July 24 to 17.

Amazing Grace is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

Ponteland hospital

The 2010 edition of Pont Island News contained a short history of Ponteland hospital. Here are some of the highlights of the article;

CASTLE WARD UNION WORKHOUSE IN PONTELAND

Castle Ward Poor Law Union came into existence in September 1836.  There were 79 elected Guardians on the Board and they represented the 77 townships in an extensive rural area that were combined to form the Union.  They ranged from Dinnington to Kirkheaton and from Heddon to Stannington.  The total population covered was, according to the 1831 census, over 15 000 people.  A parliamentary report of 1777 recorded a poorhouse at Heddon which was small and so a new Workhouse was built in 1848-49 on the North Road in Ponteland by local builder John Donkin on land bought from Matthew Bell.  In 1887 an extension was built to serve as a hospital.  In 1890 about one and a half acres were bought adjoining the north side of the Workhouse and in 1903 a board room and offices were added.

The building had several uses after closure in 1984, including housing YT students taking courses at Kirkley Hall and the last use was as a day nursery called The Cogs.   

 

The workhouses were abolished in name in 1930 but the problems they were supposed to solve still remained and the workhouse in Ponteland was renamed the Poor Law Institution, still looking after the old, the sick and the incapable.  It was the responsibility of the County Council’s Public Assistance Committee until 1948.  In 1940 it became an emergency hospital for convalescent soldiers, TB patients, some evacuees and later post-operative patients from Newcastle General Hospital.   When the National Health Service came into being in 1948 it continued as the Ponteland Hospital, run by the Newcastle Authorities, and nursing elderly patients mainly from the west end of Newcastle.   It closed in 1993, was demolished in 1995, and the site bought for housing by Cussins.  It was appropriately named Guardians Court.  Some of the workhouse brick wall is still standing with its Victorian letterbox and now encloses the gardens of these town houses on the North Road.

The Ponteland Hospital which was housed in the extended workhouse buildings was closed in 1993 after a hard fought campaign to keep it open.  It was a well regarded establishment employing a number of local people and had a very active Friends group which raised funds for extras for the elderly patients.  

Jubilee Event

Ponteland Memorial Hall
Darras Road
Ponteland
NE20 9NX

 2 – 5 June
Open to the public
 A Jubilee Exhibition is to be held at the Ponteland Memorial Hall. Various local organisations will be putting on displays about their work over the last 60 years. The exhibition will be open to the public from 10.00 a.m. until 4.00 p.m. Refreshments will be available.
There will also be a Loyal Address to be sent to the Queen after collecting signatures from as many residents as possible.
Free
For more information Email: km@pontelandtowncouncil.co.uk

The Elizabeth Bidder Diary